Custer County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.9 | 28,266 people · 40th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Custer County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.9 — 897th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 40th of 77 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Custer County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.7 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 86
Consumer Credit Distress 63.8
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 67
Legal Distress 47.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 47
Structural Poverty 46.0
Unemployment Rate 19
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 66
Disability Rate 20
Transfer Income Dependency 37
Economic Vitality 33.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42
Business Formation Rate 35
House Price Change (YoY) 26

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Custer County
Custer County, OK 60.9 Elevated —
Caddo County, OK 67.0 Serious +6.2
Beckham County, OK 61.0 Elevated +0.2
Blaine County, OK 59.4 Elevated -1.4
Washita County, OK 57.2 Elevated -3.6
Dewey County, OK 40.8 Normal -20.1
Roger Mills County, OK 37.1 Normal -23.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Custer County
Hocking County, OH 60.9 Elevated +0.1
Greene County, MS 60.9 Elevated +0.1
Carroll County, KY 60.7 Elevated -0.1
Fayette County, OH 61.0 Elevated +0.1
Guernsey County, OH 60.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Custer County as a CSV file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Custer County, Oklahoma?

    Custer County has a County Distress Index score of 60.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 897th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 40th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Custer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Custer County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Custer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Custer County (60.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Caddo County, OK (67.0); Beckham County, OK (61.0); Blaine County, OK (59.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Custer County's score of 60.9 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Custer County's CDI score?

    Custer County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Custer County?

    Custer County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 28,266 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.